Diaz was pitching for Tigres Del Licey in the Dominican Winter League and was 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA through his first four starts. But what the Sox really like is the fact that Diaz added a cut fastball to his pitching repertoire. It was the addition of a cutter by Loaiza last season that made the veteran an AL Cy Young Award runner-up.

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/teams/report/CHW/6981685

OEO Magglio

01-06-2004, 03:31 PM

It's good to see that Diaz added another pitch, it seemed before his future was going to be in the bullpen, but maybe now since he added the cutter he'll have a chance to start in the majors.

kittle42

01-06-2004, 03:55 PM

Well, now there's certainly no reason to acquire another pitcher.

TheRockinMT

01-06-2004, 04:25 PM

It's always nice to get encouraging info from the Winter leagues. If Diaz can perfect that pitch and his others this winter maybe we will have something to cheer about during the regular season.

MRKARNO

01-06-2004, 04:27 PM

Considering that the sox arent going to go out and get a real 4th or 5th starter, we have to start looking at things like this and being contented/happy with them. Maybe Diaz will be just as good as one of those FA starters or maybe he'll be about as good as Cotts was last year.

munchman33

01-06-2004, 04:48 PM

It's because of that cutter that I've had Diaz penciled in as the fifth starter, over Cotts, Rauch, and Wright.

I still think we'll make a move for a number four, though.

Daver

01-06-2004, 04:55 PM

Originally posted by OEO Magglio
It's good to see that Diaz added another pitch, it seemed before his future was going to be in the bullpen, but maybe now since he added the cutter he'll have a chance to start in the majors.

The fact that this was the first time he has managed to stay healthy for an entire minor league season might also have something to do with it.

OEO Magglio

01-06-2004, 05:00 PM

The fact that this was the first time he has managed to stay healthy for an entire minor league season might also have something to do with it.
That too, I just remember reading he'd probably have to add another pitch to be a starter in the majors, but that's always been his main problem staying healthy, so hopefully he can continue to remain injury free for some time.

hold2dibber

01-06-2004, 05:06 PM

(1) Did the Sox acquire Diaz from the Rockies for Alomar Jr. during the '02 season? I seem to remember that he was part of one of those mid-season deals in '02.

(2) I can't get too excited about anyone's Winter League play. Arnie Munoz was a winter league sensation last year only to get lit up like a firecracker for the first few months at Charlotte.

Daver

01-06-2004, 05:13 PM

Originally posted by hold2dibber
(1) Did the Sox acquire Diaz from the Rockies for Alomar Jr. during the '02 season? I seem to remember that he was part of one of those mid-season deals in '02.

(2) I can't get too excited about anyone's Winter League play. Arnie Munoz was a winter league sensation last year only to get lit up like a firecracker for the first few months at Charlotte.

(1) Diaz was acquired from the Giants for Kenny Lofton.Emenicio Pacheco was acquired from the Rockies for Sandy Alomar Jr.

(2)Arnie Munoz pitched for nineteen months straight without a break before starting the season at Charlotte and getting lit up,he has eased off a lot on his workload because of it.

hold2dibber

01-06-2004, 06:05 PM

Originally posted by Daver
(1) Diaz was acquired from the Giants for Kenny Lofton.Emenicio Pacheco was acquired from the Rockies for Sandy Alomar Jr.

(2)Arnie Munoz pitched for nineteen months straight without a break before starting the season at Charlotte and getting lit up,he has eased off a lot on his workload because of it.

The Lofton and Alomar Jr. '02 trades both seem like pretty good ones at this point. Both of those guys, from what I understand, have a shot at being productive major league pitchers.

And as to Munoz, I am still enthusiastic about his prospects - but I still try to temper my enthusiasm based upon Winter League results because, as the Munoz case illustrates, they don't necessarily translate into MLB success in the short-term.

4thbase

01-06-2004, 08:29 PM

Speaking of Winter League stats.. Anyone know of a site that provides updated WL numbers?? Was hoping to find #'s for Aaron & Miguel..

( oh yeah Miguel got sick and headed home) Still,, anybody know a team name or another term I could use to search with on Google™.. Would appreciate the help, if anyone has the info. Thnx..

Rex Hudler

01-06-2004, 09:15 PM

(2) I can't get too excited about anyone's Winter League play. Arnie Munoz was a winter league sensation last year only to get lit up like a firecracker for the first few months at Charlotte.

Actually, Munox got lit up in three of his first four outings, all in the first 10 days or so of the season. It took him damn near the whole rest of the season to get his numbers back to be decent, yet he was lights out at Charlotte after the second week of the season. Two months........ two weeks....... just a slight difference!

MRKARNO

01-06-2004, 09:31 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 4thbase
[B]Speaking of Winter League stats.. Anyone know of a site that provides updated WL numbers?? Was hoping to find #'s for Aaron & Miguel..

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/events/mlb_winterleagues_2004.jsp

4thbase

01-07-2004, 12:07 AM

thnx for the reply..
I had been looking on the CWS homepage, and not the MLB minor league page..
Also baseball america ( if thats the site im thinking of) for some reason or another doesnt list the Dominican league sats but lists the other WL teams, oddly,, which in the end didnt matter since AR wasnt playing in Dominicana.

CubKilla

01-07-2004, 12:18 AM

Originally posted by munchman33
It's because of that cutter that I've had Diaz penciled in as the fifth starter, over Cotts, Rauch, and Wright.

I still think we'll make a move for a number four, though.

The Sox need to "move" for a number 2 or 3 type pitcher. No staff w/Garland at #3 is going to do much of anything after the 1 and 2.

Tragg

01-07-2004, 12:39 AM

Originally posted by hold2dibber
The Lofton and Alomar Jr. '02 trades both seem like pretty good ones at this point. Both of those guys, from what I understand, have a shot at being productive major league pitchers.

And as to Munoz, I am still enthusiastic about his prospects - but I still try to temper my enthusiasm based upon Winter League results because, as the Munoz case illustrates, they don't necessarily translate into MLB success in the short-term.

We got more from each of those trades than we did for Durham- the Alomar deal was particularly strange- Colorado, who wasn't in contention, traded for him in mid-season then didn't re-sign him

Nellie Comiskey

01-07-2004, 12:40 AM

That Kenny Lofton deal a couple years ago could be the best trade during KW's tenure. Felix Diaz is solid and Pacheco is a stud. He pitched all year in Bham....had an outstanding year and his dimeanor and aggressiveness reminds me of Pedro M. Yes it is Double A and as we all know propects can bust any year, however I think you'll see him in Chicago in middle relief soon. :chicago

DrCrawdad

01-07-2004, 12:59 AM

Originally posted by Nellie Comiskey
That Kenny Lofton deal a couple years ago could be the best trade during KW's tenure. Felix Diaz is solid and Pacheco is a stud. He pitched all year in Bham....had an outstanding year and his dimeanor and aggressiveness reminds me of Pedro M. Yes it is Double A and as we all know propects can bust any year, however I think you'll see him in Chicago in middle relief soon. :chicago

Careful using Diaz' name in the same sentence as Diaz. Although Diaz appears to be putting up slightly better winter numbers than this Pedro-wannabe...

http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2002/04/11/dNRwX5ku.jpg

Randar68

01-07-2004, 10:12 AM

Originally posted by DrCrawdad
Careful using Diaz' name in the same sentence as Diaz.

:?:

:gulp:

DrCrawdad

01-07-2004, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by Randar68
:?:

:gulp:

OOPS!

I meant to say, careful using Diaz name in the same sentence as Pedro M.
:gulp: